2008 Woodie Awards
Music downloading leaves more risks than rewards
Issue date: 11/4/05 Section: Opinion
Here's something to consider. A couple of years ago, numerous students at colleges and universities around the world were caught downloading things illegally through various P2P programs and file-sharing networks. Although this is illegal and unethical, it does raise a point to the music industry.
Start making better albums.
Back in the 1980s, people bought albums not just because it was the only way to have their favorite music in their homes, but also it was a socially cool thing to do. The generation before us often would have a favorite musician's entire career on records because they were fans of the artists, not necessarily because of one particular song. Times and technology have changed. Entire CDs have almost become as unpopular as such trendy items as Furbys, the Nehru jacket and SurfStyles. And there's a reason for that too.
It's not necessarily because the people don't like to listen to music. As long as there is human existence, people will continue to listen to some kind of music. But why would people pay upwards of $15 to buy a CD for an artist that has only done a couple of hits? It sounds funny, but that's part of the reason why file-sharing has become so popular. Why pay all that money when you don't have to?
At this campus, there has been a crackdown of P2Ps such as Kazaa, but that doesn't stop you from getting an account at something like Napster. A lite membership costs 99 cents, and a monthly full membership costs $9.95. Although this seems great to download all the songs you want, when do people seriously have enough time to listen to 7,000 songs? The Rocket would certainly like to know because any college student, especially seniors, probably can't listen to 70 songs in a week without at least limiting things like studying and class appearances.
And if you are on the full Napster membership, for a full year, that's just shy of $120. There are way more useful things that money could go to than downloading songs to your computer or MP3 player.
It's understandable that music is important to people, but downloading cannot consume people's lives for the sheer fact that things much more important will get ignored. This is a complicated issue and one that could really go either way, but at The Rocket we feel that it's a good idea for music downloading to be left at the current state it is right now.
Start making better albums.
Back in the 1980s, people bought albums not just because it was the only way to have their favorite music in their homes, but also it was a socially cool thing to do. The generation before us often would have a favorite musician's entire career on records because they were fans of the artists, not necessarily because of one particular song. Times and technology have changed. Entire CDs have almost become as unpopular as such trendy items as Furbys, the Nehru jacket and SurfStyles. And there's a reason for that too.
It's not necessarily because the people don't like to listen to music. As long as there is human existence, people will continue to listen to some kind of music. But why would people pay upwards of $15 to buy a CD for an artist that has only done a couple of hits? It sounds funny, but that's part of the reason why file-sharing has become so popular. Why pay all that money when you don't have to?
At this campus, there has been a crackdown of P2Ps such as Kazaa, but that doesn't stop you from getting an account at something like Napster. A lite membership costs 99 cents, and a monthly full membership costs $9.95. Although this seems great to download all the songs you want, when do people seriously have enough time to listen to 7,000 songs? The Rocket would certainly like to know because any college student, especially seniors, probably can't listen to 70 songs in a week without at least limiting things like studying and class appearances.
And if you are on the full Napster membership, for a full year, that's just shy of $120. There are way more useful things that money could go to than downloading songs to your computer or MP3 player.
It's understandable that music is important to people, but downloading cannot consume people's lives for the sheer fact that things much more important will get ignored. This is a complicated issue and one that could really go either way, but at The Rocket we feel that it's a good idea for music downloading to be left at the current state it is right now.
